McDonald’s opens first ‘dark kitchen’

McDonald’s has opened its first dark kitchen dedicated solely to Uber Eats deliveries in Hounslow, according to a report by Property Week.

A McDonald’s spokesman told the magazine​​ ​the opening was “part of a wider trial to test different restaurant formats” and the dark kitchen would “ensure that restaurants in the surrounding area can provide the service and convenience that our customers expect, ensuring that McDelivery customers have a great experience.

“The kitchen looks and feels exactly the same as all our other kitchens up and down the country and will deliver the same great-tasting food our customers expect. It will adhere to exactly the same standards of food quality.”

McDelivery, which operates exclusively in conjunction with UberEats in the UK, has continued to expand across the country. Last October it was available from 700 restaurants, now that figure is up to 950, which represents 75% of McDonald’s UK 1270-strong estate.

Last week, CEO Steve Easterbrook said McDelivery now makes up 10% of total UK sales.

This story originally appeared on BigHospitality's sister site MCA. To subscribe to MCA, click here​​. ​